


Training

by rebel_wren



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Family, Fluff, Gen, Mama Hera Syndulla, Mother-Son Relationship, One Shot, Parental Hera Syndulla, Teaching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-14 05:04:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20595170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebel_wren/pseuds/rebel_wren
Summary: Jacen Syndulla is around fifteen, and doing more regular hands-on flight training with his mom. Unfortunately, they get caught in a bad storm during practice.





	Training

“I can’t see, Mom!”

Jacen looked and sounded panicked, and Hera couldn’t blame him. She hadn’t checked the weather forecast before taking him up in the _ Ghost _for some in-atmosphere flight practice, and not too long after they started the ship was being pounded on by rain and destabilized by strong winds. Flying sticks, leaves, and other natural debris was hitting the viewport, some sticking to it. 

“I know, I know,” Hera said, keeping her voice as calm as possible. “Just try to keep the steering steady, alright? You’re doing great.”

“I can’t!”

“Yes you can, I know you can. Just hold it tight.”

Thunder boomed, and a flash of lightning illuminated the area for a split second. A particular vicious gust of wind pounded on the ship and rocked it, spinning Jacen’s seat- he’d forgotten to lock it in place.

“Mom!”

Jacen fell out of the pilot’s seat, back in the cockpit.

“Jacen!” Hera cried, but she couldn’t check on him immediately. She quickly hopped herself into the pilot’s seat, and took over the ship. This was far from the first storm she’d flown in. She held tight onto the steering controls, steadying them better than Jacen had, and with the viewport obscured, she looked to the navigator screen.

“I know where we are, there’s a clearing just ahead,” Hera called. “I’m bringing us down, alright?”

“Mmhmm,” Jacen said. Hera looked, and he was on the floor, holding onto the co-pilot’s seat.

The winds fought against her, but Hera was able to set the _ Ghost _ down and land it. The rain continued to pound on the outside, but now that Hera wasn’t worrying about flying, it was almost relaxing. She took a deep breath- some parts of the console were beeping, but it was likely just debris getting stuck in places that she and Chopper would check over later.

Her biggest worry was Jacen.

He was still sitting on the floor, though now he was just curled up with his head down on his knees. Hera slowly sank down to sit next to him, rubbing his shoulder. He looked up at her, and his eyes were red.

“I’m sorry, Mom.”

Hera shook her head. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I didn’t do anything right, either.”

“That was a really tough storm. I couldn’t have flown through that when I was your age.”

Jacen snorted. “Yeah, you could have. You’re the best pilot in the galaxy.”

Hera chuckled. “Maybe. But I wasn’t always. Flying takes a lot of practice, hard work, and experience. You’re already a great pilot, Jacen. You were born to fly, everyone can see it, I’m not just saying that because I’m your mom. But you can always get better. Even I still learn new tricks sometimes. And I know in just a few years, you’ll be able to fly in a storm like that no problem.”

Jacen nodded, and wiped at his eyes. “Thanks, Mom.”

Hera kissed his cheek and then hugged him, and Jacen hugged her back tightly. When Hera pulled away, she ruffled his soft hair.

“How about we wait this storm out? Then we can try a little more practice before heading home. There’s still some food in the fridge from the last time we went out, how about you pick a holovid and I’ll make us something.”

Jacen wrinkled up his nose. “Um… how about _ you _ pick a holovid, and I’ll make something.”

Hera laughed. She was always so grateful that Jacen seemed to inherit Kanan’s cooking abilities and not hers, and that he grew a love for it from helping Zeb cook as a kid.

“That works too. I’ll set up the holoprojector.”

Jacen stood up first, and then extended a hand to help Hera up, which she took with a smile.

“I love you, Jacen.”

He smiled at her. “I love you too, Mom.”

Hera was always grateful to hear him say those words.


End file.
